Problem

Problematic Behavior or Activity

The most frequent crime in Linn County is methamphetamine possession, with 523 charges filed in 2012 and 494 charges in 2013. At the end of calendar year 2013, Linn County Parole and Probation supervised 613 people on post-prison supervision and 627 on felony probation; 44 percent of these offenders had a history of drug crimes.

Linn County’s child abuse and neglect rate is 1.5 times greater than the state average and the county also has a disproportionate number of children in foster care. The regional rate of illicit drug use among women is 10 percent, twice the national average. Linn County exceeds the state’s percentage of children entering foster care with “parental drug abuse” as the reason for removal.

As of February 2015, Linn County’s 7.3 percent unemployment rate exceeded the state average of 5.8 percent. The proportion of Linn County families with incomes below the federal poverty level is also higher than the state average, with 24.9 percent of children living in poverty in 2014.

Impact on the Community

The 2012 Linn County Community Needs Assessment ranked alcohol and other drug abuse as the second-most-pressing health problem in Linn County, after obesity. High rates of unemployment and poverty contribute to high rates of drug-related crime, and high rates of child abuse and neglect.

Solution

Program Description

In 2014, Linn County revamped its Community Intervention Program (CIP) in order to offer services targeted at the county’s problems. CIP previously included services such as in-jail mental health services for the uninsured and community supports such as shelter, rent assistance, transportation, and identification. CIP now targets medium- to high-risk offenders on probation and provides access to the following:

a mental health specialist in the jail who identifies offenders with mental disorders that will interfere with a successful transition—and to help arrange treatment in the community;

immediate access to a substance use disorder (SUD) assessment;

certified recovery mentors; and

rural transportation to cognitive-behavioral groups.

All expanded services now focus on intervening more effectively with repeat drug offenders. The program relies heavily on Linn County Parole and Probation staff, who identify priority offenders based on their Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (LS/CMI) assessment, as well as other tools, such as the substance use disorder assessment. Priority offenders receive increased supervision intensity and are referred to peer recovery services.

Based on Research

The CIP relies heavily on these evidence-based practices:

Public Safety Checklist for Oregon

LS/CMI

Motivational Interviewing

Moral Reconation Therapy

Thinking for Change

ASAM criteria

Criminal Sentiments Scale

Matrix Model

South Oaks Gambling Screen

Cognitive Behavioral Coping Skills Therapy

Seeking Safety

Contingency Management Model

Nurturing Parenting for Parents in Addiction Recovery

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy

Funding

This program is funded by a $373,251 grant through the state’s 2015-2017 Justice Reinvestment Grant Program. The grant supports the following: